Fox Pushes Beyond the Set-Top Box

Fans of Fox's broadcast and Fox News content will soon have a new way of consuming the programming. News Corp. has announced it plans on making some of its television content available through a new app on Xbox 360. The apps are slated to be available to Xbox gold members starting in 2012, though a specific launch date hasn't yet been set. The arrangement will allow Xbox users to access shows like Family Guy, Glee and The O'Reilly Factor using credentials from their cable or satellite subscriptions to log on. The new partnership will also allow users to access news content from the News Corp.-owned Wall Street Journal.

“As we continue to find new ways to deliver content to consumers, this partnership with Xbox LIVE enables our viewers to experience News Corp.’s leading media brands in an entirely new and innovative environment,” Jon Miller, chief digital officer at News Corp., said in a statement announcing the deal.

The announcement comes at the same time that top Fox News executives have begun publicly discussing plans to make its television content available online and on mobile devices in a "TV Everywhere" play. In an interview with VentureBeat on Monday, Jeff Misenti, vp of digital operations at Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network, said a variety of new Web and mobile offerings are currently in development that will allow users to access the television programming away from their set-top boxes through a cable and satellite provider-based log-in system. Sources at Fox say they're hoping to roll out the online and mobile offerings later this month. Typically, TV Everywhere offerings are only announced after specific rights arrangements between the networks and cable or satellite operators involved have been fully ironed out.

Fans of Fox's broadcast and Fox News content will soon have a new way of consuming the programming. News Corp. has announced it plans on making some of its television content available through a new app on Xbox 360. The apps are slated to be available to Xbox gold members starting in 2012, though a specific launch date hasn't yet been set. The arrangement will allow Xbox users to access shows like Family Guy, Glee and The O'Reilly Factor using credentials from their cable or satellite subscriptions to log on. The new partnership will also allow users to access news content from the News Corp.-owned Wall Street Journal.

“As we continue to find new ways to deliver content to consumers, this partnership with Xbox LIVE enables our viewers to experience News Corp.’s leading media brands in an entirely new and innovative environment,” Jon Miller, chief digital officer at News Corp., said in a statement announcing the deal.

The announcement comes at the same time that top Fox News executives have begun publicly discussing plans to make its television content available online and on mobile devices in a "TV Everywhere" play. In an interview with VentureBeat on Monday, Jeff Misenti, vp of digital operations at Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network, said a variety of new Web and mobile offerings are currently in development that will allow users to access the television programming away from their set-top boxes through a cable and satellite provider-based log-in system. Sources at Fox say they're hoping to roll out the online and mobile offerings later this month. Typically, TV Everywhere offerings are only announced after specific rights arrangements between the networks and cable or satellite operators involved have been fully ironed out.